This invention relates to an imaging system for medical purposes and more particularly for a head-mounted imaging system employing a microscope assembly coupled to a television monitor which assembly operates in conjunction with a microscope eyeglass assembly worn by the surgeon during an operation.
Utilizing present techniques, it is well known that the surgical procedures which are employed in the operating room during an operation can only be viewed by others to a limited extend. Essentially, a skilled surgeon, while performing an operation, would like to teach the techniques to his students and associates, and hence there are many people in the operating room who would like to view the operation. It is, of course, understood that in regard to this there have been many approaches including photography, television and so on employed by the prior art.
Essentially, all such approaches of the prior art required a separate camera which was focussed on the area of the patient where the operation was being performed. In regard to such procedures it is understood that while the onlookers could view the procedure, they did not see the operating site in the same manner and from the same view as the surgeon. This is an important aspect in regard to the teaching process where it is desirable that the student or the assistant view the operation and the procedure in the same manner as the surgeon.
The prior art being cognizant of such problems has developed various devices which attempt to solve the problem and which are cognizant of the problem. For example see U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,765 entitled STEREO CAMERA FOR SCIENTIFIC AND SURGICAL PHOTOGRAPHS issued on July 4, 1961 to W. Winzenberg. This patent discloses a head-mounted camera which is secured to the forehead of an operator and out of his line of vision. The structure includes light projection means which are connected to a camera for indicating picture area limits by casting patterns of light into the work area. The main objective of the patent is to allow the surgeon to continue with the operating procedure while further being able to take pictures without moving his head.
Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,333 entitled HEAD MOUNTED LAMP WITH JOINT OBERSERVATIONS EYEPIECE issued on July 25, 1978 to K. Storz. This patent shows a concave mirror mounted on the headband. A support for the mirror has a viewing path on which is incorporated a prism to allow a second person to observe what the surgeon observes by looking through the viewing tube. Essentially, this structure is relatively complicated and unwieldy and has not been widely accepted in such procedures. A major problem which has not been solved by the prior art is the fact that many surgeons such as those engaged in the field of neurosurgery employ microscope eyeglass assemblies during an operation procedure. These assemblies essentially poovide a definite magnification for the eyes of the surgeon which allows him to view the operating area with magnification such as 2.5.times. to 8.0.times. or greater. Hence in such a system the surgeon is actually viewing the operation sight in magnified mode. It is, of course, understood that the onlooker or that person who is attempting to observe the procedure should also view the entire procedure at the same magnification as the surgeon. Coupled with this is the necessity for providing the viewer with a representation of the operating area as seen from the eyes of the surgeon. Hence the imaging system employed in this invention provides a coaxial image for eventual display on a video monitor and for presentation to an auxiliary display device such as a television monitor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a head-mounted illumination system which system is extremely light weight, easy to use and is compatible with the magnification afforded by a microscope eyeglass assembly employed by a surgeon during an operation.